1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a document editing processing method and apparatus and, more specifically, to a document editing processing configuration applicable in document editing employing a word processor, a DTP, a commuter and a portable document inputting apparatus. More particularly, it relates to a document editing processing method and apparatus and a program furnishing medium enabling high-speed conversion based on a user-input reading while enabling not only kana-kanji conversion processing (conversion from Japanese syllabic characters to Chinese characters), that is conversion from input reading data to kanji, but also high-speed conversion from the input reading data to the multimedia information pieces, such as picture information.
2. Description of Related Art
In preparing various documents, such as information letters, presentation materials or mails, by a document processing device, such as a word processor, a portable document inputting device or a personal computer, a user inputs optional characters, such as hiragana (cursive kana characters), kana characters and alphabetical letters, from a variety of inputting means, such as keyboard, pen inputting means or manuscript character inputting means, and performs kanji conversion processing to an input character string, if need be, to prepare a document. Recently, such a system has been developed in which a heart-shaped figure, a variety of figures, such as a human face, or picture data, are demonstrated in a hybridized fashion in these documents to create a document exhibiting higher visual effects.
The operation of inserting figure data into a document is executed by e.g., the following sequence: The user desirous to insert a figure or a picture into an input document first invokes a picture data file having variable picture data registered therein to open the picture data file to display a list of registered picture data file. The user then selects an appropriate picture to introduce the selected picture at a pre-set point into a document.
However, since a wide variety of picture data are stored in the picture data file, it is not that easy to select desired pictures from the voluminous data. So, there is such a configuration in which the picture data are classed into various categories, such as human being, animals or vehicles, and to display only picture data deliberately selected from these categories to assure facilitated picture data selection by a user.
There is also such a configuration in which a pre-set keyword is associated with picture data registered in a picture data file and in which, after opening the picture data file, the user is able to input a keyword, whereby only picture data associated with the input keyword is demonstrated as a list to assure facilitated selection of the picture data.
However, in any of the above-described methods, it is necessary to carry out plural processing steps, such as invoking picture data files, listed display of picture data and selection, thus imposing significant load on the user while lowering the document preparing processing speed.
The present Assignee has proposed in our previous patent applications, namely the Japanese Laying-Open Patent H-10-150433 and Japanese Laying-Open Patent H-10-154144 a document inputting executing method and apparatus which assures efficient and speedy document inputting operations.
In the document inputting apparatus, disclosed in these prior-art present applications, plural conversion candidates are retrieved and extracted, based on the kana characters or Roman letters, fed via inputting means, and the extracted conversion candidates are demonstrated on a display in order for a user to select a desired word from the displayed conversion candidates.
The document inputting methods, disclosed in these prior-art present applications, document can be prepared by (1) character inputting by a user, (2) displaying conversion candidates based on an input character string from a dictionary having stored therein plural words and plural exemplary sentences and (3) selecting desired words from the displayed conversion candidates. Since the display processing of conversion candidates based on the input character string enables conversion candidate words, such as  (gratitude, uttered as “kansha”)”,  (Chinese characters, uttered as “kanji”)” or  (admiration, uttered as “kanshin”)”, to be displayed by a user desirous to input  (gratitude, uttered as “kansha”)” merely inputting the first character of its reading  (uttered as “ka”)”, it is unnecessary to perform conversion processing after the user inputs  (uttered as “kansha”)”. Since this enables a conversion candidate to be displayed and selected merely by inputting not less than one reading as the necessary minimum reading, it becomes possible to input a document efficiently and speedily.